Getting the Mix Right

Blurb is the new kid on the self publishing block. They have produced a propriety publishing aide that looks pretty good and produce their books at a very competitive price.

So what is the quality really like, you ask? Well they have produced a tomb How To Make A Book an "elegant 40-page, full-color hardcover book was created using Blurb's BookSmart™ software and showcases the bookstore quality we keep talking about:" At $14.95 it is a reasonable purchase to see what they can do.

Stepping through the purchase process was pretty much what one has come to expect from online purchasing until I hit the Shipping page. My shipping cost was going to be $68.47! Hello, it's going to cost me 4 1/2 times the cost of the book to get my hands on it.

Ain't gonna happen.

An alternative company (Lulu.com) can supply me with an 85 page hardcover full-color book for a shipping cost of $7.59.

As my marketing 101 professor always said "if the distribution is wrong the product is dead".